House names members to budget conference committee

House Speaker Joe Straus just named the House conferees who will negotiate with their counterparts in the Texas Senate to work out differences in the two chamber’s proposed spending plans: State Reps Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, John Zerwas, R-Richmond, Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, Myra Crownover, R-Denton and John Otto, R-Dayton.The House further instructed its negotiators to stand firm on cuts to family planning programs and in leaving the state’s Rainy Day Fund untouched.

House members rejected a plea from State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, who urged lawmakers to reconsider its family planning cuts. “If you want to reduce the number of abortions in this state you should be for funding these family planning services,” Strama said. “If you can prevent unwanted pregnancies there is a direct correlation to reducing abortions.”

By a vote of 74 to 54, they agreed to instruct their negotiators to adopt a budget that does not use the Rainy Day Fund, which has an uncommitted $6 billion balance.

The House rejected motions to restore funding to nursing homes and fully fund current public education formulas.

While the House debated and adopted a variety of “motions to instruct” the conference committee negotiators, the instructions are not binding.